The Micajah Pettaway Chapter of the N.C. Society Daughters of the American Revolution met Feb. 21 in the home of Pris Sykes. Celia Baggett, Mae Brake and Kay Freeland were other hostesses.

Due to the absence of Chapter Regent Margaret Barnes, Director of District VIII and Chapter member Martha Strange presided. After calling the meeting to order, she led the Ritual, Pledge of Allegiance and American's Creed. Celia Baggett gave the invocation.

Contributed photo (ENLARGE)

Rocky Mount Downtown Development Manager Ian Kipp, at right, spoke to the Micajah Pettaway Chapter recently.

Strange introduced a guest, Peggi Mauney, her niece and daughter of Kathleen Thurman, her sister.

Jane White gave the National Defense Report on "Fighting without Guns." A task force based at Camp Lemonier, a U.S. Navy base in Djibouti, Africa, has an aim to stop terrorism by making the lives of Africans better. The U.S. gets 10 percent to 15 percent of its oil from Africa.

Strange encouraged everyone to send birthday cards to students of the Tamassee DAR School. In the discussion it was suggested a future program be a brief history of ancestors of members and from where they came.

Strange reported in the January-February DAR Magazine, District VIII DAR has an ad on Patriots done by the Edenton Tea Party DAR Chapter. A living Edenton Vietnam veteran was highlighted in this North Carolina issue.

Under Strange, senior chapter president, the Micajah Pettaway Chapter sponsors the Children of the American Revolution Chapter named Brigadier General Francis Nash Chapter.

The state DAR Conference will be the last week in April at the Sheridan Imperial at Research Triangle. Strange gave copies of the call to the state conference to those attending the awards luncheon or going for the weekend.

After Martha Lamm introduced Rocky Mount Downtown Development Manager Ian Kipp, he spoke on downtown Rocky Mount focus and made comments about the mill.

Rocky Mount recommitted to develop the downtown in the late 1990s. Remember the train station renovation started in the late 1990s and completion was in 2000. The marvelous Peoples Bank building was renovated. In 2002, the new Braswell Memorial Library opened.

American Community on Thomas and Main Streets opened. It received a $5 million federal highway grant in 2005 and will start the first phase of construction in a year. Renovation of the street from the train station up to Thomas Street includes the Douglas block.

Downtown is one of six historic districts established as a Local Historic District in 2006 by the Rocky Mount City Council. There are a few residences downtown and there are going to be more. What is hoped for downtown is smaller stores, personal service establishments, restaurants and cafes, with the residential component upstairs and offices mixed in. That will create the most value for Rocky Mount, Kipp said.

At this point, it is important to get the buildings renovated. Most of the buildings are very old and need investors to come in. One concept is to hold quarterly property auctions for property owners who would like to sell their property. The hope would be to create a some excitement for Rocky Mount, Kipp said.

Rocky Mount officials want the redevelopment to be part of a public-private partnership.

Kipp said the city will not have redevelopment with only public, government or private money. It is going to be a partnership. What happens is the public sector has to make a commitment and spend money on catalytic projects, big projects that will not only bring people to the area but create some excitement and try to attract the private developers, he said.

In 2007, the Rocky Mount Mill was sold to Capital Broadcasting. Now the project is being planned. The company has a slew of land-use planners looking at the mill and probably will get started in a year. The project leader is Michael Goodmon.

The city has purchased nearly all of the property in the Douglas Block area. Now, the city is in the process of partnering with a private developer to renovate that.

That will be "mixed use" with commercial and residential, which is the formula they need to stick with because it creates a vibrant urban dynamic. All great downtowns in the world are mixed use, Kipp said. Along Thomas Street, the Booker T. Theater and Burnette building will be saved.

Officials probably will build three story buildings which offer new residential apartments. To get it started, developers need Historic Preservation and New Markets Tax Credits.

For more information, visit www.downtownrocky

mount.com.